BPaulsen wrote on 03/02/12 at 17:17:07:

Same non-answer as Vass. So I repeat:

I will not play the Stonewall as Black. Period.

BPaulsen wrote on 03/02/12 at 17:17:07:

Nice for him. Irrelevant for my question:

Is there anything wrong with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.e3 Nd7 idea 5.Nc3 a6 etc.?

Vass wrote on 03/02/12 at 09:55:43:

That Bishop on c8, as I wrote in my previous post. Call it personal preference, bias or an emotional blockade, no matter how many games you post, you won't convince me. I will not play the Stonewall as Black. Period.

Yeah, I know about the Chebanenko.
Now I would really appreciate it if somebody addressed my question iso making suggestions: is there anything wrong with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.e3 Nd7 idea 5.Nc3 a6 etc.?

This Stonewall indeed seems ok for black, especially if white is comitted to Nf3 already (no g4 or Bd3,Nge2 setups). If you want a less explored line, I'd recommend 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6 (instead of main line Meran with Nbd7). It's not exactly a rare line nowadays, but seems fully playable and avoids lots of complexities of the Meran. A nice point vs. less booked up opponents is that 6.Bd3 is rather harmless.

Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 03/02/12 at 02:28:42:

Dunno about the other book, but I'd guess it's different. Probably, because Scherbakov has written so much, the only way to get it all between the covers was to use really high-grade paper.

Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 03/02/12 at 02:28:42:

It looks like very diligent work. For instance, there are whole sections which seem to be just his analysis.

As to any theoretically difficult questions, someone else will have to say, since I'm not an expert on these lines. I've only played a few games in the Marshall Gambit, mostly as White, mostly without success, one of which he actually mentions.

Jonathan Tait wrote on 03/01/12 at 12:46:00:


Is the paper different? Is it like the paper in the Attacking Chess: King's Indian Volume 2 book?

But the more important question: How is the book with regards to content?

Arrived this morning. My first thought:

Nice paper!

I received a reply from Everyman this morning, confirming it is now available in the UK. My order will be in today.

Having gotten a really good look at it as part of writing my own book, I can say without hesitation that this book is an amazing treatise on the Noteboom, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the best written to date on the subject. Readers will not be disappointed. GM Scherbakov's objectivity is refreshing, and his work is very, very thorough - improvements for both sides are teeming.

...And it will definitely advance the discussion of the main line Noteboom. It will be every bit as important to prospective white players facing it as the black players looking to take it up.

Simply put, it's a must have for anyone that faces it or uses it, and has got to be one of the early favorites for book of the year. That's my opinion, anyway.